The Australian Taxation Office will begin visiting the workplaces of struggling SMEs in order to discuss plans for assisting companies in meeting any future tax obligations.
The meetings, which are set to begin next Monday 9 March, are designed for the tax office to meet with businesses directly without the involvement of tax agents.
“We will make direct contact with business owners, so require no action from tax agents. However, we wanted to make you aware of the visits should your clients be selected,” the tax office says.
“We will be visiting small businesses showing early signs of difficulty, such as later lodgement of activity statements or increasing debt levels, and will offer them practical help to meet their obligations.”
The tax office says that issues to be discussed will include lodgement, record-keeping, options for activity statement competition and availability of the Small Business Assistance Program.
Other options on the table include discussions regarding pay-as-you-go installments and superannuation obligations. The tax office also claims the meetings will continue until “the foreseeable future”.
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Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
